Bay County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.2 | 102,500 people · 52nd most distressed in Michigan
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Bay County, MI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.2 — 1728th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Michigan, it ranks 52nd of 83 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Bay County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 66.7 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 66.7
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 27
Business Formation Rate 83
Housing Cost Burden 50.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 58
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 62
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 47
Homeownership Rate 39
Rent-to-Income Ratio 47
Income & Poverty 46.2
Poverty Rate 44
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 41
Debt & Delinquency 42.1
Debt in Collections 41
Medical Debt 42
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 21
Credit Card Delinquency 20
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 82
Community Vulnerability 35.5
Uninsured Rate 14
Disability Rate 57

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Bay County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Bay County
Bay County, MI 48.2 Normal —
Gladwin County, MI 59.6 Elevated +11.4
Saginaw County, MI 59.2 Elevated +11.0
Arenac County, MI 59.1 Elevated +10.8
Tuscola County, MI 50.3 Elevated +2.1
Huron County, MI 43.8 Normal -4.5
Midland County, MI 36.4 Normal -11.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Bay County
Van Buren County, MI 48.3 Normal +0.0
Kenosha County, WI 48.3 Normal +0.0
Maury County, TN 48.2 Normal -0.0
Lafayette Parish, LA 48.2 Normal -0.0
New Hanover County, NC 48.2 Normal -0.0

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Bay County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Bay County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-968-0738

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Bay County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid & Defender Association of Detroit 313-967-5555
Michigan Legal Help / Wolverine Legal Aid
Neighborhood Legal Services of Michigan 248-548-3838
Michigan Advocacy Program 616-774-0672
Legal Services of South Central Michigan 734-665-6181
Lakeshore Legal Aid (888) 783-8190
Legal Aid of Western Michigan (616) 774-0672
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (800) 322-4512
Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Inc. (906) 786-2303

Self-Help Resources

Michigan Legal Help — Foreclosure Self-help guides and interactive tools for Michigan foreclosure process and defenses
MSHDA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and MIHAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Bay County, Michigan?

    Bay County has a County Distress Index score of 48.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,728th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 52nd in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bay County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bay County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 66.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Bay County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bay County (48.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Gladwin County, MI (59.6); Saginaw County, MI (59.2); Arenac County, MI (59.1).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Bay County?

    Bay County, Michigan has a population of approximately 102,500 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.